Electrical Engineering Graduate Programs

From the optical fibers that connect the world to deep space exploration, many of humanity’s greatest achievements would have been unthinkable without electrical and computer engineers. Our department has played an important role in many of these advancements. 

You can add to our legacy in world-class photonics, high-frequency diodes, and materials science research, and extend our long-standing tradition in computer engineering, devices and circuits, signal and image processing, and communications.

Our co-location with the University of Virginia's School of Medicine enables ECE faculty and students to conduct research in medical imaging, microfluidics, electrophoresis, bio-molecular engineering, and biomedical and cyber-physical data mining. Machine learning and artificial intelligence now influence everything we do, including the design and operation of engineered systems; you can leverage our investments in machine learning research to ride the AI wave.

We aspire to be an inclusive and welcoming place for all, and a hub of innovation where research and teaching go hand-in-hand. Our mission is to prepare the next generation of electrical and computer engineering leaders to solve society’s grand technological challenges and improve quality of life.

Our Graduate Programs

  • Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering

    We offer a direct pathway from your bachelor's degree to a Ph.D. If you are admitted to the Ph.D. program, you have the option of earning your M.E. or M.S. degree en route. 

  • M.S. in Electrical Engineering

    The M.S. is a research-based master's that requires a final thesis defense.

  • M.E. in Electrical Engineering

    The M.E. is entirely course based and can be earned in person or online through Virginia Engineering Online.

Resources for Current Students

  • UVA Engineering Graduate Student Resources

    Explore our resources for graduate students, including professional development support and ways to get involved at UVA Engineering.

  • Academic Planning

    Find timelines, forms and guidance for completing your degree on schedule.

  • EE Graduate Student Handbook

    A detailed resource of graduate degree requirements.

EE Degrees are in Demand

Our electrical engineering program is known throughout industry and academia as a source of outstanding engineers and researchers. Our faculty maintain this reputation by continually updating curricula to reflect current scientific and technological advances and requirements and by maintaining a vigorous, interdisciplinary research program that provides staff and graduate students with high-level learning experiences relevant to societal needs.

Recent graduates have joined industry, such as Apple, Amazon, BAE Systems, Booz Allen Hamilton, Corning, Facebook (now Meta), General Electric, General Motors, Google, Halliburton, Intel Research, Microsoft Research, NVIDA Research, Northrop-Grunman, Oracle, Qualcom and Samsung Research. Some chart their path to government research labs including the Air Force Research Laboratory, Army Research Laboratory, NASA, NIST and The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Others have followed their advisors' path into academe, pursing postdoctoral research and faculty positions in the United States and overseas, including Kuwait University, the National Defense University of Technology, China; the Royal Thai Air Force Academy; Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China; the University of California Davis, University of Florida, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, University of New Hampshire, University of Notre Dame, and Virginia Commonwealth University.

Graduate Program Contacts